Soap and process of making the same.



HEINRICH BECKER, OF WVIESDORF, GERMANY.

SOAP AND PROCESS OF IVIAKlNG THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed January 24, 1903. Serial No. 140,443.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, H EINRIOH BECKER, a citizen of Germany, residing at WViesdorf, near Mulheim-onthe-Rhine, in the Province of Rhineland, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soap and Processes of Making the Same; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the invention.

The same deals with a soft soapz'. a, potash soapof a form and physical nature which has hitherto been everywhere unknown and having, compared with both common soft soap and compact soda soap, especially favorable properties with regard to its use and efficiency.

The invention relates, first, to the process of manufacturing the said soap and then to the soap itself as product of the process and in that form and packing allowing of its practical employment and the trade routine essential for the same, such as despatch, storage, 620.

For this soap and its preparation an addition of fine sand and sawdust is used, and in this head it may be observed that such additions to soap are generally only known in the case of compact soap (soda or curd or hard soaps) and have hitherto never been made to soft or potash soaps; further, that they in the case of the latter attain quite a different purpose to that accomplished by compact soaps, in which their object only is to increase mechanically the cleansing power, which action in the case of the soft soap of the present invention, together with of course the peculiar main action of these additions, also stands as subordinate action for the actual invention. Moreover, up to the present either sand only or sawdust only have been added to compact soap and never both additions together. This is, however, accomplished according to the invention and in a definite proportion based on practical experience and in a particular order essential for the attainment of the desired results.

The process of manufacture is as follows: First, two hundred to about two hundred and fifty parts of sawdust i. 0., half the sawdust to be usedis added to about one thousand parts of pure soft soap (preferably in a warm liquid state z'. 0., freshmade) prepared in any well-known manner by boiling liquid oil with lye of potash and thoroughly stirred. Then about six hundred and fifty parts of sand are add ed and well stirred and then the same quantity of sawdust as before viZ., about two hundred to two hundred and fifty partsstirring well the whole time, so that all compact parts or particles become again quite equally distributed in the mixture. It might be expected that after a very large percentage of compact ingredients had been in this manner added to the soft soap it would become compact and moldable, which is the aim of this invention; but this is not the case. On the contrary, the mixture produced up to this point will still be so soft that the stirring of the compact particles therein may be effected with comparative ease and effect, although in contrast to the tougher consistencyof pure soft soap the mixture will be more crumbly, so that in stirring it divides into crumbs or flakes. It will also be easily compressible, like a sponge, and will continue to be just as sticky as the pure soft soap, so that the whole, as

well as the crumbs or flakes formed in stirring, settles on and adhere to the walls of the vessels and stirring and mixing apparatus. In order to make the mixture thus prepared really as hard and compact as is desirable and not adhesive, but smooth and moldable, further forty parts of a suitable liquid, preferably water, pure or containing dissolved and other suitable materialas, for instance, curd soap, preferably about eighty to one hundred parts of the latter dissolved in the said forty parts of waterare now added to the mixture of soap previously prepared. By this means the mixture at once becomes stiff and loses its adhesiveness, so that it will no longer be able to be stirred, but now can be molded into pieces of any suitable shape, which is accomplished in any well-known manner and with the usual apparatus. There is no possibility of the pieces baking fast in the mold, and they may be loosened and turned out of it with the greatest case, although their compactness is not so great as that of soda soaps. This soap corresponds in compactness to a thoroughly stiff paste, and therefore to prevent the pieces being crushed and getting out of shape in transit and storage it is advisable to pack them in a suitable closed paper wrapper or the like of the same shape and size as show the soap pieces. This packing serves here not only to prevent the soap from becoming soiled or soiling other articles, as is the case with other goods, but above all to keep the pieces in the shage once given them until they come to be use As mentioned above, this soap is of special value and possesses increased cleansing power for various purposes as, for instance, for workmen, mechanics, &c., for cleaning their handswhile the inconveniences connected with the use of hard, soda, and common potash soaps for these purposes are avoided.

A soft soap of this description especially adapted for cleaning hands has hitherto absolutely not existed. To use it, break off each time a small piece of about one to two cubic centimeters (about the size of a pea or marble) and then simply rub it with water between the hands. With this soap there is absolutely no waste, while in using ordinary soft soaps, which are tough and at the same time slippery at the surface when they come in contact with water, there is always waste caused by small pieces, flakes, and the like dropping unused to the ground. The new soap is easily attacked at once by hot and cold water, lathers quickly and well, and cleanses thoroughly in an astonishingly short space of time, the skin remaining soft and pliant, so that after washing the skin has not an unpleasant tensive feeling, as if it had become brittle, but on the contrary a pleasant feeling, owing to the action of the soap being mild and tending to soften the skin. This cannot be attained with additions of sand or sawdust either with common soft soap, which on account of the facts quoted above is not at all adapted for washing the hands, or with the well-known hard or soda soap. As is well known, in using the latter the whole piece is taken in the hand and rubbed with water until it lathers, which has the disadvantage also that after the piece has worn rather thin it breaks and parts of it are wasted.

Hard soaps are not readily soluble in cold water, and in most cases only cold water is at hand. and used for cleansing the hands. They lather badly and being quite hard and compact when used in conjunction with pumicestone, rough sand, or the like, with which these soaps have already been prepared, they severely affect the skin, their proportion of soda making it brittle and causing it to crack, so that after washing it invariably retains an unpleasant tensive feeling.

As regards the use of the soap by the working classes who in their various occupations dirty their hands very considerably, and consequently require an especially suitable and thorough cleansing-soap, it is a matter of great weight that the new soap has only a moderate price.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A method of manufacturing a soft soap which can be molded into and used in cakes, which consists in adding to one thousand parts of soft soap about four hundred to four hundred'and fifty parts of sawdust and about six hundred and fifty parts of sand, first the one half of the sawdust, then the sand and then the other half of the sawdust, stirring continuously and mixing well the whole, and finally adding about forty parts of a suitable liquid, for making the mass to lose its tough consistency and adhesiveness.

2. A method of manufacturing a soft soap which can be molded into and used in cakes, which consists in adding to one thousand parts of soft soap about four hundred to four hundred and fifty parts of sawdust and about six hundred and fifty parts of sand, first the one half of the sawdust, then the sand and then the other half of the sawdust, stirring continuously and mixing well the whole, and finally adding about forty parts of water containing dissolved curd soap, about eighty to one hundred parts.

3. The compact soft soap, produced by the addition of about four hundred to four hundred and fifty parts of sawdust, about six hundred and fifty parts of sand and about forty parts of a suitable liquid, to one thousand parts of common soft soap, molded into cakes of suitable shape and size and packed in closed wrappers of paper, or the like of the same shape and size,.as that of the soap cakes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HEINRICH BECKER.

In presence of CARL SOHMITT, B. BROOKHUES. 

